Combined paper-clip and pencil-holder.



No. 636,269. Patented Nov; 7, I899.

s. L. LONG. COMBINED PAPER CLIP AND PENCIL HOLDER.

(Application filed Feb. 25, 1898.)

(No Model.)

I IDOCljtTK n e ys.

Wfigesszs %'MMM, 15 ,715 J1me m: NORRIS PETERS co. morau'rgou wnsmuoron, u. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

SIDNEY L. LONG, OF MAGNOLIA, MINNESOTA.

COMBINED PAPER-CLIP AND PENCIL-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 636,269, dated November 7, 1899.

Application filed February 25 1898- Serial No. 6'71 ,669. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SIDNEY L. LONG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Magnolia, in the county of Rock and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Combined Paper-Clip and Pencil-Holder, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in combined paper-clips and pencil-holders; and the object that I have in view is to provide a simple and cheap construction adapted to securely confine in place loose leaves of paper to enable them to be written on to good advantage and also to hold the pencil or pen holder within convenient reach, the pen holding clasp lying entirely out of the way of the user and arranged to avoid interference with the adjustment of the paper-clip.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for preventing the paper or leaves from falling back in the way of the writer, thereby avoiding one of the annoyances experienced in the use of ordinary clips.

With these ends in View the first part of my invention consists of a combined paper and pencil clip comprising .a doubled metallic plate having one member bent into a paperclip which is curved in cross-section to provide a bearing-face on its rear side, the other member of said metallic plate being extended rearwardly from said clip and curved upwardly into a clamp which presents a convex gripping-face opposite to the bearing-face of the paper-clip, the opposing faces of the clip and clamp being spaced for the reception of a pencil. The invention further consists in the combination, with a paper-clip having a baseplate and an overhanging binding-flange, of an angular metallic guard having one arm held frictionally in place between the plate and flange of the clip and with its other arm arranged to lie above the binding-flange and provide an intervening space between the clip and guard.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved clip, showing bydotted lines a paper tablet and a lead-pencil confined therein.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken transversely through the clip and illustrating the paper tablet by dotted lines confined within the paper-clamp forming one element of the clip. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the paper-clip made as a separate part from the pencil-holding clamp. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective-view of the guard adapted for use in connection with the clip illustrated by Figs. 1 and 2.

Like numerals of reference denote like and corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings.

In carrying my invention into practice I construct the clip 1 from a single piece of elastic sheet metal, and in the preferred embodiment of the invention the clip is bent or formed to provide a paper-clamp 2 and a pencil-clamp 6, the pencil-clamp being entirely independent of the paper-clamp and arranged above or in rear of the same, so that the leaves of paper or the tablet may be readily inserted and removed from the clamp 2 without hindrance from the clamp 6. The sheet metal or blank is of proper dimensions to form the paper and pencil clamps therefrom, and I proceed first to bend or fold the metal upon itself for the purpose of forming the base 3 of the paper-clamp 2, after which the metal is again bent in a curved line to produce the overhanging member 4 of the paper-clamp. The free edge of the overhanging member 4 terminates above the base 3 and at a suitable distance in rear of the doubled edge of the sheet metal from which the clip 1 is produced. The base 3 and the overhanging curved member 4 produce a paper-clamp which is elastic or resilient to a sufficient extent to clamp a number of leaves or sheets of paper ora tablet, and one edge of the overlapping clamp member 4 is rounded or beveled, as at 5, to permit of the introduction of the paper or tablet from one end of the clamp 2. The leaves of paper or the tablet may be readily 5 inserted in the paper-clamp by slipping them edgewise into the end of the clamp 2 having the beveled edge 5, and when in position the paper is securely confined or held between the edge of the member 4 and the base 3 of I00 the clamp 2. After having bent the paperclamp 2 from one part or section of the sheet metal or blank I fashion the other edge of said metallic sheet or blank by curving or bending it toward the curved overhanging member l of the paper-clamp, thus producing the pencil-clamp (5. A space or opening 7 is provided between the curved pencil-clamp 6 and the rear side or face of the curved overhanging member 4, and in this base is adapted to be inserted a lead-pencil or penholder, which is held in position by frictional contact between the curved clamp O and the member 4 of the paper-clamp. The pencil or penholder may be readily inserted into the clamp G from either end thereof and withdrawn endwise therefrom, as is obvious.

In using my improved paper-clip and pencil-holder it is intended that the leaves or pages may turn over upon the clip, the rounded contour of the overlapping paper-clamp member 4 facilitating the described adjustment or arrangement of the leaves of the tablet. The leaves are thus adapted to be connected to or confined in place by the clip while the writer is engaged in using the tablet, and to prevent the leaves from folding back over the tablet and in the way of the writer I employ a guard S. This guard is made in a separate piece from the clip], and it is connected thereto in a manner to be held in position on the clip and over the paperclamp 2 by frictional contact between the base of the paper-clamp and the bottom part 12 of the clip itself. As shown by Fig. 4 of .the drawings, the guard S is bentfrom a strip or length of metal to provide the holding-arm 9 and the overhanging arm 10. The clip is thus made or struck up from a single piece of metal, audit is adapted to be held in place by thrusting the arm 9 between the base 3 of the paper-clamp and the bottom 12 of the paper-clip. In adjusting the arm 9 of the guard in position it is necessary to use force sufficient to wedge said arm 9 between the clip and the paper-clamp, and the resiliency or elasticity of the paper-clamp serves to hold the guard frictionally in secure engagement with the clip 1. The arm 10 of the guard overhangs the clip and is elevated therefrom a sufiicient distance to permit the leaves of paper to be readily inserted between said guard-arm 10 and the clip 1; but after the leaves have been turned up out of the way and between the clip and guard they cannot fall back into place across or upon the tablet because the arm 10 prevents the reverse movement of the paper.

My improved paper-clip is especially intended for use by school children in writing exercises and performing other duties; but the device is also well adapted for use generally by the public. The clip affordsa convenient means for holding loose leaves of paper in proper order for writing memoranda, and in the practical service of the device the guard 8 affords a very convenient means for preventing the leaves of paper after they have been written upon from falling back in theway of the writer, the clip being thus adapted to hold the written and unwritten leaves of paper securely in place.

\Vhile I prefer to make the pencil-clamp and the paper-clamp from a single piece of sheet metal, it is evident that the paper-clamp may be made separate from the pencil-clamp, as indicated by Fig. 3 of the drawings. In this figure the paper-clamp is represented as bent from a single piece of sheet metal to provide the base 3 and the overhanging curved member 4.

Myimproved clip is efiicient in service and is manufactured verycheaply, because the parts thereof are all made from a single piece of elastic sheet metal, which is doubled or folded upon itself to produce the paper and pencil clamps. The guard is also very cheaply made and held in place on the clamp solely by frictional engagement therewith. The guard may or may not be attached to the clamp, and when desired it may be readily detached without interfering with the proper clamping of the paper or the pencil.

One of the special features of myimproved device is its adaptation to hold the leaves of paper and the pencil or penholder by a simple construction of the clip. served that the article is made from a piece of sheet metal which is doubled upon itself to form two members, one member being bent or curved to form the paper-clip and to make its rear side serve as a bearing for a pencil or penholder, while the other member of the clip is extended rearwardly beyond the paperclip and is curved upwardly to lie in the horizontal plane of said paper-clip. The gripping-face of the rear pencil-clamp is opposed to the bearing-face on the rear side of the paper-clip, and the opposing faces of the clip and clamp are spaced in such relation as to accommodate between them a pencil or penholder which is adapted to be confined securely in place by the pressure of the yieldable pencil-clamp.

A further advantage of my invention consists in the paper-clip curved upwardly from the base and to lie in rear of the front edge thereof, whereby the paper may rest on the base and be clamped firmly thereon by the overhanging edge of the clamp. The clip as thus constructed is especially useful in holding loose leaves of paper in proper order, and said leaves are retained securely in place without the liability of creasing.

The paper and the pencil may be easily and quickly inserted into the clip by adjusting the paper edgewise between the base and overlapping member of the clamp 2 and by thrusting the pencil endwise into the space between the paper-clamp member 4 and the pencil-clamp 6. It is evident that the paper can in like manner be withdrawn edgewise from one end of the clamp 2.

As represented by Figs. 1, 2, and 3 of the drawings, I prefer to curve or roll under the free edge of the overhanging paper-clamp to It will be obgive to said edge a relatively broad grippingface 14, which obviates cutting into or tearing the paper and yet gives to the clamp sufficient grip on the paper to firmly clamp the leaves in place.

The bottom face of the base 3 is lined with a layer of rubber or other noise-deadening medium 15, which may be cemented or otherwise secured in place and which serves the useful purpose of overcoming the objectionable noise in school-rooms of dragging the device acrossa desk and also prevents the device from scratching or defacing the desk.

The device shown by Fig. 3 is especially useful in binding together papers, magazines, and other publications to preserve them in proper order, and as the clamp is slightly resilient it permits any one of the publications to be readily Withdrawn from the clamp Without disturbing the arrangement of the remaining publications.

It is evident that changes in the form and proportion of parts may be made by a skilled mechanic Without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is 1.' A combined paper and pencil clip comprising a doubled metallic blank having one member bent into a paper-clip which is curved in cross-section to provide a bearing-face on its rear side, the other member of said metallic blank being extended rearwardly from the said clip and curved upwardly into a clamp which presents aconvex gripping-face opposite to the bearing-face of the paper-clip, the opposite faces of the clip and clamp being spaced for the reception of a pencil, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a paper-clip having a base-plate and an overhanging bindingflange, of an angular metallic guard having one arm held frictionally in place between the plate and flange of theclip and with its other arm arranged to lie above the bindingflange and provide an intervening space between the clip and guard, substantially as described.

3. As a new article of manufacture, the paper and pencil clip herein shown and described comprising a bottom, 12, having at one edge thereof a paper-clamp 2 and at its other edge a pencil-clamp, 6, which faces toward the curved, overhanging member, 4:, of said paper-clamp, and a guard provided with an arm, 9, which is inserted between the bottom of said clip and the base of the paperclamp to be held in position on the clip by frictional engagement with said clip and the paper-clamp, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

SIDNEY L. LONG.

Witnesses:

P. PHINNY, R. R. KUHN. 

